9 Best Secure File Sharing Tools for Business 2020

File sharing has never been easier to do, but as a network administrator, it makes sense to have some oversight and even some uniformity on how filesharing happens on your network. We'll show you the best business file-sharing tools for 2020.

Thankfully with the number of software platforms available, getting files from A to B is easier than ever before.

However, you still need to pick the right tool to make sure you can collaborate effectively. Here is our list of the nine best secure file-sharing tools for business in 2020:

FileWhopper A pay-as-you-go file or folder transfer service that specializes in large file sizes. Ideal for businesses that need to send files to multiple clients and don’t want to set up user accounts or new platforms for collaboration.

Dropbox Business Cloud storage with directory synching across devices available for business and for individuals with a free plan available for private use.

G Suite Google Drive The paid version of Google Drive that is linked to an online productivity suite. Low prices and excellent collaboration facilities make this a very popular choice.

OneDrive for Business Microsoft’s cloud storage service that can be integrated into the Office 365 productivity suite. The first 5GB of storage is free and scanning and collaboration utilities are other benefits.

Box Business A contender cloud storage service that can be integrated into G Suite tools, Office 365, Adobe Sign, and Salesforce. Strong encryption makes this a compliant tool for data protection standards.

Citrix ShareFile A file-sharing tool from the virtualization kings. This option includes cloud storage and secure email for document sharing.

Apple iCloud A cloud storage solution that is fully integrated into Apple operating systems. Files can also be accessed from Windows computers and the first 5GB of space is free.

FileCloud A cloud storage service with a customizable console skin for corporate branding. Can be managed on-premises or used as a hosted service.

WeTransfer Pro A free secure file transmission system with an option to add on paid storage. Includes file access tracking.

The best secure business file-sharing tools

FileWhopper is an innovative alternative to subscription services and cloud storage solutions. It is a pay-as-you-go file transfer service that uses a file-sharing methodology. The pay-as-you-go method suits many business use cases. If you want to send a large file or folder to someone, you simply upload it to the FileWhopper system, get a link for the location and then send that link to your correspondent. The system is strictly for file sharing and it isn’t meant for live collaboration which makes it less cumbersome than other tools on this list.

You pay a fee for each file upload based on file size and the FileWhopper service includes a utility to upload the file. The file is stored in an encrypted state and is password protected so it can only be accessed by the intended recipient. The file can’t stay on the FileWhopper server forever. The storage system isn’t intended to be accessed repeatedly. The file is resident on FileWhopper for 14 days (can be extended if needed), and then it will be deleted if no one accesses it. When the recipient does access the file, it can only be downloaded, and once that process completes, the file is removed from the FileWhopper system. The sender can purchase additional downloads if the file has to be shared with more than one recipient.

Uploads can be any size, even 10 TB or more. FileWhopper gives a quote for each file transfer request and doesn’t publish its rates at the moment, although they have announced plans to add a price calculator to their site soon. Visit their website to learn more and see their pricing model.

First up on this list we have Dropbox Business. Dropbox is a secure cloud storage and file-sharing tool that allows users to store their files in one location. You can access Dropbox files from your computer, phone, or tablet. Anytime you add new files or delete old ones the changes will be automatically synced across all your devices. You can also remotely wipe data if a device is lost or stolen.

Dropbox also supports file sharing with users who don’t have an account. In team environments, you can use Dropbox Business to store files in one location and implement admin controls to manage who has access to what data.

For individual users, there are three versions of Dropbox Business available to purchase: Basic, Plus, and Professional. The Basic version is free with 2GB of storage. The Plus version costs $9.99 (£8.13) per month for 2TB of storage. The Professional version costs $16.58 (£13.49) per month for 3TB of storage.

For enterprise users, there are three versions of Dropbox Business available to purchase; Standard, Advanced, and Enterprise. The Standard version starts at $12.50 (£10.17) per user per month with 3TB of storage space.

The Advanced version starts at $20 (£16.27) per user per month with unlimited space. The Enterprise version is a customized package with a unique price tag. You can try the 30-day free trial.

G Suite Google Drive has fast emerged as one of the top cloud storage services, with free storage for personal use. With Google Drive, the first 15GB of storage free. With this solution, you can access your files from your computer, smartphone or tablet no matter where you are located.

File sharing is an area where Google Drive excels. You can invite others to view and download your files by sending links. You can also invite multiple members of your team to collaborate on a single file. The combination of storage and collaboration makes Google Drive ideal for remote enterprise environments.

There are two versions of Google Drive; Personal and Drive Enterprise. As mentioned above, Google Drive is free for the first 15GB after which you can upgrade to Google One. Paid versions start at $1.99 (£1.59) per month for 100 GB storage and 200GB for $2.99 (£2.49) per month. Drive Enterprise costs $8 (£6.51) per active user per month plus $1 (£.81) per 25GB.

OneDrive for Business is a cloud-based file hosting service provided by Microsoft that supports shared files. You can store files and access them from your computer, tablet, or phone. If you add or delete files then these changes will be synced automatically across all your devices. You can even access your files when you’re offline so you aren’t reliant on an internet connection. To keep your files secure OneDrive encrypts files with SSL.

For collaboration, OneDrive allows you to share files, photos, and folders with others. All you need to do is send a link via email or other message service and the recipient can access the files without needing to sign up. You can also set an expiration date on file links so that they can’t be accessed after a specific point in time.

Document scanning is a unique feature that allows you to use your phone to scan paper documents. For example, you scan receipts and notes to upload them to your OneDrive account.

Box for Business is a cloud storage solution that is protected by encryption. You can log into the Box cloud platform from any device to upload and interact with files. The platform also integrates with solutions such as Office 365, Google, Suite, Salesforce, and Adobe Sign so you can use the apps that you rely on every day. Data can be stored in a region of your choice.

Collaboration can be achieved by sending secure links so that other users can add their own comments to files. The onboard data controls have made Box compliant with HIPAA, PCI, FedRAMP, ISO 27018, ITAR, FINRA, and more. For example, the Box Keysafe feature allows you to manage encryption keys to protect data and creates a paper trail of the key usage.

There are four versions of Box available to purchase: Starter, Business, Business Plus, and Enterprise. The Starter version costs $5 (£4) per user per month with 100GB secure storage and 2GB file upload. The Business version costs $15 (£12) per user per month with unlimited storage and 5GB file upload.

The Business Plus version costs $25 (£20) per user per month with unlimited storage and 5GB file upload. The Enterprise version has a custom price tag for unlimited storage and content management with workflow automation. You can start a 14-day free trial.

Citrix ShareFile is a file-sharing tool that allows you to store files and documents in the cloud. You can access all your cloud files through one platform. Many companies use Citrix ShareFile for sending large files. The software comes with an email plugin so you can send files easily via email.

These files are encrypted in transit and at rest to make sure they can’t be read by anyone but the intended recipient. Even if you don’t have an internet connection you can access files offline in SharePoint document libraries.

To support collaboration CitrixShareFile has mobile editing, which enables users to annotate Microsoft Office documents and PDFs via the mobile content editor. The user can make changes offline and save them for later.

There are three versions of CitrixShareFile available to purchase: Standard, Advanced, Premium, and Virtual Data Room. The Standard version costs $10 (£8) per month for one employee and unlimited storage. The Advanced version costs $77 (£62) per month for five employees, plus $15.30 (£12.45) per additional user with unlimited storage and email encryption.

The Premium version costs $122 (£99) per month for five employee users, plus $24.30 (£19.78) per additional user, with custom workflows and electronic signatures. Virtual Data Room is $338 (£275) per month for five employee users with 5GB of storage with dynamic watermarking, click trails, and view only options. You can download the free trial version.

Files can be accessed on Windows or Mac devices and organized however you want. You can rename them or add colors to help separate important files from the rest. To share files with others all you need to do is send a link.

Updates are automatically shared across all your devices. So if you add a new file to iCloud it will show up everywhere. Similarly, if you or a member of your team updates a file then the changes will be shared everywhere.

To protect the information you have online, Apple iCloud uses automatic backups. The tool automatically backs up files whenever your device is connected to power and Wifi. That means if you lose a device or the data is lost, you can revert to the backup copy. All of your devices are supported with two-factor authentication to keep out unauthorized individuals.

There are four versions of Apple iCloud available to purchase: 5GB, 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB. The 5GB version is free. The 50GB version costs $0.99 (£0.81) per month. The 200GB version is $2.99 (£2.43) per month and recommended for more extensive use. The 2TB version costs $9.99 (£8.13) per month.

FileCloud is a file-sharing solution designed for enterprise users. You can share and back up data from computers, smartphones, tablets, and file servers. Businesses can choose which region they want to store their data in whether in the US, Europe, Asia, or Australia. You can even customize the online file-sharing hub with your own logos, URL, and background image.

The security features that come with FileCloud are also very robust. The tool comes with anti-virus and ransomware protection to prevent cyber attackers from damaging your data. You also have a site-specific encryption key to control who has access to what data.

FileCloud is available on-premises or in the cloud as FileCloud Server and FileCloud Online. FileCloud Server has two versions: Standard and Enterprise. The Standard version costs $4.20 (£3.42) per user per month. The Enterprise version carries a custom price tag and supports a minimum of 50 users.

FileCloud Online also has two versions: Standard and Enterprise. The Standard version costs $10 (£8.14) per user per month for a minimum of five users and 1 TB storage for the first five users. The Enterprise version costs $15 (£12.20) per user per month for a custom domain, enterprise integration, and premium support. You can start the 14-day free trial.

WeTransfer is one of those file-transfer tools designed for those who want to send files as conveniently as possible. With WeTransfer you can send files directly to your recipient. Simply go to the site and enter your email, the recipient’s email, and a message. You don’t need to sign up and can send up to 2GB of file transfers free.

If you want more of the traditional file sharing experience then you can purchase WeTransferPro. WeTransfer Pro allows you to drag-and-drop 20GB worth of files and enjoy 1 TB worth of storage.

You can track transfers to see how many times they were downloaded. You also get your own Pro page where you can choose five wallpapers and show off your portfolio of files.

There are also access controls so you can protect file transfers with passwords. Similarly, you can configure delete dates for files so that they only stay available for a specific period of time.

WeTransfer is free and supports email transfers for up to three people. We Transfer Pro costs $12 (£9.76) per month or $120 (£97.64) per year with support for email transfers for up to 50 people. You can start transferring files with WeTransfer via this link here.

Choosing a file-sharing tool for your business

Sharing files isn’t as much of a hassle as it once was, but you still have to pay close attention to your requirements. If you only need to send or store a handful of files then a basic version of Dropbox for Business or the free version of Google Drive will suffice.

However, if you think that you will require more space it is worth paying for a larger version. From an enterprise perspective, it is better to have too much space than too little.

It is also worth considering whether you’re content to send files or you’re looking for more collaborative features. Using tools like OneDrive and Google Drive that allow you to send files with links makes it easy to work with others. For industries where regulatory compliance is a big concern file-sharing tools like Box are compliant with a range of auditing requirements that are the best fit.